Gearhead

SPECIALIZING IN 50’S CLASSICS &
60’S-70’S MUSCLE CARS

GEARHEAD SERVICES

CUSTOM BUILDS

UPHOLSTERY

CONVERSIONS

EXPERT MECHANICAL

NEW PARTS

FABRICATION

PROCESS

Understanding how hard it is to entrust multiple shops to tackle various phases of the restoration process, we’ve structured Gearhead Garage as a one-stop shop like no other in the area. Through a targeted focus on our customers’ tastes and needs, a vast array of complementing alliances, and an undying commitment to quality and workmanship, we’ve come together to facilitate this automotive utopia.

CONSULTATION & VEHICLE INSPECTION

We discuss the condition of your vehicle, perform a vehicle inspection (in most cases) and discuss candidly your wants/needs to determine how extensive the project will be. Necessary repairs, upgrades and modification possibilities are all discussed at this time so we can establish clear expectations, develop a timeline and forecast financials. As a rule, a full frame-off “stock” restoration should take approximately 1 year. Usually completed in less time, this varies depending upon the scope of the project, complexity of mechanical upgrades and electronics integration, scheduling and of course, your budget.

DISASSEMBLY...THE WORK BEGINS

We begin the disassembly process by carefully noting any worn or damaged parts that may need to be replaced. All parts removed from your car are carefully sorted and set aside for future use, later on in the build process. For those of you that haven’t seen your car drive in a long time, it is during this stage that we’ll attempt to get the car back into running condition so that we may assess how much work must actually be done. Full scale, frame off restorations generally proceed directly to disassembly due to their thorough nature, but ultimately, you decide what you’d like done. At this time, the various components are sent out for repair – engines and transmissions to be rebuilt, trim pieces to be polished, plated or re-chromed, and accessories to be painted or powder coated.

SUSPENSION, CHASSIS & UNDERCARRIAGE

During this phase, we remove all necessary suspension & frame related parts from your vehicle, usually separating the body from the frame. While the body and frame are apart, we address the underside of the body, performing any necessary welding and fabrication, then prepping the undercarriage and applying your choice of undercoating. Concurrently, the frame is cleaned, detailed and either painted or power coated. Next, all suspension and steering work and modifications are performed, the engine, transmission and rear end are installed, and whenever possible, the engine is fired to ensure that all is working properly. Now that we have a complete rolling chassis, we can mate the body and frame back together, install new fuel and brake lines, and send the car to paint.

PAINT & BODY

In most cases, we prefer to have the body and frame assembled during the body and paint process, but it’s not uncommon for us to tackle this phase while securely mounted on a rotisserie. We take extensive measures to thoroughly mask off all completed work, ensuring that no overspray results. Working in this order allows us to focus directly on final assembly once the car is painted. Depending on the condition of your vehicle’s body, the car is stripped down, all body repairs are performed, mounting holes are filled and/or drilled, door gaps & panel fitments are meticulously aligned, and the car is thoroughly block sanded and primed/sealed multiple times before any paint work begins. Once the body is perfect, all jambs are painted, followed by application of the color base coat on the remainder of the entire body. To ensure the best possible finish, any custom or factory striping is applied/painted, then the whole car is sprayed thoroughly with multiple layers of clear coat, which gives it the deep luster and shine. After paint has fully cured, the car is meticulously wet sanded to remove any blemishes and orange-peel, then buffed and polished, resulting in a rich show car finish.

INTERIOR & FINAL BODY ASSEMBLY

Once painted, your car is ready to have the interior assembled by our award-winning upholstery specialist. Stock or custom, the seats are foamed and wrapped, carpet laid, headliner, dash and door panels installed. All weather stripping is replaced and exterior trim, moldings and badges are installed. If not previously completed, all remaining electrical work is finalized, bulbs replaced, the engine fired, and all hoses, cables and ground straps are installed. Windows are installed and/or aligned, bumpers, lenses, and all other assembly related steps are completed.

MECHANICAL & DRIVEABILITY

Now that the project is almost finished, we perform any necessary remaining mechanical work, brake-in procedures are completed and loose ends are tied up (ex: charge the A/C, wheel alignment, bleed the brakes, computer tuning, etc). At this point, road testing begins. For all custom builds, we insist on a minimum of 50 miles driveability testing to ensure smooth, reliable performance. Additionally, we’ll require a 500 mile check up…We want to make sure everything is in correct working order as your satisfaction is our #1 concern.

PUTTING YOU IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT

All work completed, the car is thoroughly detailed and arrangements are made for pick up or delivery. Upon acceptance of your finalized build or restoration project to your satisfaction, you take possession of your car, drive and enjoy! In many cases, we’ll invite finished cars to appear with us at select classic car shows and other promotional events.

ONGOING MAINTENANCE

We take pride in all of our builds and want to keep the fleet running smoothly. Once your car is completed, we encourage you to leave us in charge of ongoing maintenance and future upgrades. Customers often ask us if we’ll work on their cars after they’re built- the answer is: “OF COURSE WE WILL!”.

If you don’t live in the area, plan to ship the car out of state, or do future maintenance yourself, we’re happy to be a resource for you moving forward. We’d rather see your car out on the road than just sitting in the garage!

Someday. Someday soon. Someday it will happen. Someday I’ll finally deserve it. Someday the engine will roar beneath me. Someday everything will be perfect and I’ll know when. Someday I’ll know what it’s like to drive a modern-built, classic car. Someday the first impression will be the only impression I’ll ever need to make. Someday it’s going to feel incredible to have the car of my dreams made into a reality.

Someday is everyday at Gearhead Garage: we build great cars so you can live your someday, today.